Buttery Shortbread Cookies
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies are a classic holiday favorite. They are so tender and delicious — perfect with a cup of tea, or even better dipped in dark or semi-sweet chocolate for a more decadent treat.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour¼ tsp kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, beat butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Using a sifter or fine-mesh strainer, sift powdered sugar over butter. Still on low speed, mix the butter and powdered sugar until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary (about 2 minutes).1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
- Add in vanilla and mix until it is well incorporated (about 1 minute). Continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as necessary.1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Add in flour/salt mixture, half at a time, and mix until the dough starts to come together (about 2 minutes).
- Turn out the dough and form into a flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place once again on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to ¼” thickness.
- Using a 2 ½” to 3" round cookie cutter (or other desired size and shape), cut out cookies and place them onto a cookie sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake cookies until they are set, slightly firm to the touch, and the bottoms are lightly golden brown (about 25 to 30 minutes).
- Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet or sheet pan before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- If desired, dip half of each cookie in melted dark or semi-sweet chocolate. Place on a flat surface lined with parchment paper, set in the refrigerator, and chill for at least 20 minutes.
Notes
- Sifting the flour and powdered sugar will help prevent lumps in the cookies.
- Working quickly and keeping the dough moving will help prevent it from sticking to your board or countertop.
- Not re-rolling the dough too many times will help prevent the cookies from developing bubbles.
Nutrition
Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 426IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg